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Christie Williamson
Dear

Here’s a skin to begin
to win on – taut
wi da tug
o aathin du nivvirlairnt.
Here’s a fraem ta hing
a future on – nekkit
ta winds
at blaanaeannsirs.
Here’s a cushion ta faa,
ta faa
ta watch rushin
up at de time an agien.
Here’s a blast at isna past hit.
Here’s a winter warmin up.
Here’s da rod tae da empty forest.
Here’s da fitprintswashd bi da sea.
Here’s a skin to begin to win on – taut/with the tug of everything you’ve ever learnt. //Here’s a frame to hang a future on – naked//to winds that blow no answers. //Here’s a cushion to fall, to fall/to watch rushing up at you time and again. //Here’s a blast that isn’t past it. /Here’s a winter warming up. //Here’s the road to the empty forest. /Here’s the footprints washed by the sea.
About the writer:
Christie Williamson is from Yell in Shetland. Since 2003, he has been writing, publishing, and performing poetry in his native tongue of Shaetlan and in English. His first collection, OoanFeddirs was published in 2015 by Luath Press. He lives in Glasgow where he runs Tell it Slant Books.
Image: Nobody puts a picture of an oil tanker on their wall, do they? by William Hamilton. Acrylic on canvas. No size specified. Before 2018. By permission.
This is my painting. You do not own the copyright, I do.
We need to talk.
Hi, William.
This is your painting. We are very careful not to infringe copyrights. We have only promoted this work for you. If you have commercial links that you would like us to add to the post, we will be happy so to do. OJAL Art Incorporated, publishing since 2017 as OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters (O:JA&L) and its imprint Buttonhook Press, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation supporting writers and artists worldwide.
Err, not by permission.
William Hamilton
Hi, William. Several of your works were submitted in your name for consideration for publication in OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters through our Submittable submissions manager in 2017. This one was published November 19 of that year. The post, with many others, was lost in a site crash in early December 2019 and recovered shortly thereafter (before 2020). I believe we published three others as well. Your pieces Inner Farne, Chevy Chase, and Chevy Chase II were also published at the same time as focusing art for some rather nice poems. We don’t claim copyright except on your behalf. Submission usually is considered an offer of permission to publish. Your cover letter was quite short and reads “The title is a line from the film: ‘the shipping news.’ I’ve tried to paint a sexy, ethereal tanker deliberately without an anchor for added mystery. Is the title true?” I’m glad it was available for you to search. This is the letter we sent when your image was released three years ago:
From: jeff.streeby@gmail.com (Jeff Streeby)
To: William Hamilton
Subject: Nobody puts a picture of an oil tanker on their wall, do they?, Studio Arts: Painting and Drawing, William, Jeff, Streeby,
Hello, William,
Congratulations. This message is to announce publication of your work Nobody puts a picture of an oil tanker on their wall, do they? submitted in the category Studio Arts: Painting and Drawing, in the current issue of OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters. Please share this link to the issue’s website http://ojalart.com/ on your social media accounts and invite your friends on Facebook to “like” our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ojalart/,
O:JA&L promotes all its artists and writers through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and in eastern Europe on VK.
For any issues concerning your published work, write to ojal.associate.editor@gmail.com
Cordially,
Jeff, Streeby,
Submissions Editor
How do you want to proceed?